A FiveYear Plan
by suburbs
Summary: Nate thought that making a five-year plan was a great idea. And who better to help him than Caitlyn? He had no idea of the impact the plan would have. Nate/Caitlyn. Companion to Mitchie Takes a Nap.


Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock.

Author's Note: I am not really sure about this one, so I apologize if it doesn't work. It is based on a sentence in "Mitchie Takes a Nap."

Nate was driven, methodical and intense, all traits that helped bring order to the chaos that was the world of Connect 3. He liked to make lists, diagrams, and flow charts to make sure things had been properly thought out, and his latest project was a five-year plan. He knew that there was a limited life-span for a boy band, and he felt that in order to continue in the music industry there needed to be a plan. The guys hoped that as a group they would be able to evolve and mature musically, allowing them to reach a larger, more diverse audience, but Nate knew that there needed to be a back-up. If they just put in a little more work, he hoped that they would be able to help write and produce for other artists while still making their own albums. Then, if they lost their audience as Connect 3, they would still have the writing and producing to keep them in the industry. The key was how to balance their commitments to the label and their fans with this new angle. He also wanted to make sure he was able to take care of his important financial obligations before taking any big risks. He thought the plan looked good, but he needed someone to look it over. Obviously Jason and Shane would need to approve it, but the first person he wanted to share it with was Caitlyn.

Caitlyn was smart, totally honest and very familiar with the music industry. She was also Nate's girlfriend. He trusted her opinion, and he knew that if he asked her to look at the plan, she would take it seriously. Shane and Jason always appreciated the end results of his efforts, but they could be counted on to mock him along the way. Caitlyn understood him, and she liked the challenge of helping develop strategies. As soon as he finished his draft, he e-mailed a copy to Caitlyn and called to let her know he had sent her a copy of his "big plan". He would have preferred to talk it over with her in person, but the band was on a three month European tour and Caitlyn was helping Mitchie with her debut album.

Nate smiled when he heard his girlfriend's voice, "This is Caitlyn. Leave me a message, and I'll get back to you when I have time."

"Hi, Caity. I just e-mailed you my five-year plan. Let me know what you think. Love you!" He couldn't wait to hear what she had to say.

When Nate woke up the next morning, he had an e-mail from Caitlyn with a list of great suggestions. He liked her idea of producing a balance of new and established artists. He loved that Caitlyn could always take his ideas a step further.

He was so excited about the plan and so busy with the tour that it took him a few days to realize that there was something off with Caitlyn.

"Cait, what's wrong?" Nate asked. "And don't say 'nothing'. We've been together for two years now. I may not be as emotionally sensitive as Jason, but I know that something's bugging you."

"I'm fine. We've just been putting in really long hours, and I'm exhausted," Caitlyn snapped.

Nate sighed, "Okay. Well, I guess I should let you go get some sleep then. I love you."

"Love you, too," Caitlyn said mechanically before hanging up the phone.

Nate had never felt this helpless and out-of-control before. He knew something was wrong with Caitlyn, but he couldn't get her to talk to him. She had been distant with him for over a week, and he had no idea what was wrong. For the first time in their relationship, he was petrified that he was going to lose her. Part of him felt like he might have been able to fix it in person, but he still had a four-week commitment to the tour before heading home.

Jason walked into living room of the hotel suite to find Nate sitting in a chair staring into space.

"Hey, Nate? Is something wrong?" Jason asked. Nate usually preferred to deal with his problems on his own, but Shane and Jason were seriously worried about him. He had not been sleeping and had been even more withdrawn than usual.

For a moment, Jason wasn't sure Nate had even heard him. Then Nate turned to Jason with a haunted look in his eyes. "I think I might be losing Caitlyn. I know something's wrong, but I can't get her to talk to me. I don't know what to do."

Jason put his hand on Nate's shoulder. He thought carefully before answering. He had no idea what Caitlyn was thinking, but he wanted to be able to help his friend. "Have you tried talking to Mitchie?"

Nate looked thoughtful. He was pretty sure that even if Mitchie knew what was wrong, she wouldn't tell him. He knew enough about girls to know that Mitchie wouldn't betray Caitlyn's confidence. But he was desperate, so it was worth a try. He gave Jason a small smile. "Thanks, man. I think I will give her a call."

"Nate, is something wrong with Shane?" Mitchie said with panic in her voice as she answered the phone.

"What?" Nate said with confusion. "No, Shane's fine."

Nate heard Mitchie let out a sigh of relief. "You just never call me, so I thought maybe something was wrong."

Nate made a mental note to call Mitchie more often to check in. "Sorry I worried you. Uhm… I'm actually calling because I need your help."

There was silence as Mitchie waited for Nate to continue. Finally he broke. "What's wrong with Caitlyn?" Nate's voice was raw with emotion. "I don't know what is happening. I don't know what to do."

Mitchie was torn. Part of her knew that Caitlyn would feel betrayed if Mitchie told Nate what was wrong, but Nate obviously couldn't address the issue if he had no idea what he had done. In the end, the possibility of helping bring her two friends back together won out.

"You remember your big five-year plan? The one you e-mailed to Caitlyn? " Mitchie asked.

"Of course," Nate replied. "She had some great suggestions."

"Well, after e-mailing you her great suggestions, she pretty much broke down sobbing," Mitchie retorted.

Nate was stunned. "What… Why would she…? I don't…" Nate stammered.

"Your plan took care of Shane and Jason. It involved paying off your parents' house and setting up a college fund for your sister. But no mention of Caitlyn. Nate, you sent your girlfriend a detailed five-year plan for your life that didn't include her anywhere in it," Mitchie explained. "How do you think that made her feel? In her mind, you don't see her as an important part of your future."

"Oh, God," Nate whispered. He was so shocked that he wasn't even aware that he had just hung up on Mitchie.

His heart literally felt like it was being squeezed as he thought about what Caitlyn must have been going through. He tried to imagine his life without her, and realized that the prospect was too horrifying to even contemplate. He grabbed his phone and called Caitlyn.

Caitlyn picked it up on the fifth ring, just as Nate has begun to fear that she wasn't going to answer. She sounded tired when she said, 'Hello."

Nate took a shuddering breathe before saying, "Caity, I am so sorry."

"For what?" Caitlyn asked sharply.

"Mitchie told me what was wrong. Why didn't you say something?"

"She what?" Caitlyn's voice was icy.

"God, Caitlyn, don't get mad at her. I pretty much called her begging for help. I was going crazy."

Caitlyn's voice softened, "You were?"

Nate's voice broke as he responded, "I thought I was losing you. Caitlyn, I just…" He was so overwhelmed that he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Why wasn't I in the plan, Nate?" Caitlyn asked quietly.

"For the totally opposite reason you thought. You're the one thing I never have to plan and analyze. I mean, making the plan, I just didn't…I can see the band falling apart. I can see running out of money. I guess, I just couldn't imagine being without you, so I didn't feel a need to plan our relationship. I just assumed that you would be there with me," Nate answered. "A five-year plan is a short-term thing, and I don't think of you that way."

Caitlyn was quite on the other end, and Nate began to panic. His heart was pounding, and his breathing had sped up. Finally she asked, "What does that mean, Nate?"

What did it mean? He could picture life without the band. He could picture life outside the music industry. But he didn't want to think about a life without Caitlyn. All of a sudden he blurted out, "I want to marry you."

"What?" Caitlyn gasped.

"I want to marry you," Nate said with confidence.

"Nate, you don't ask someone to marry you because you are afraid they are going to break up with you," Caitlyn said wearily.

"I'm not, Caitlyn. I am asking because I love you. And I can't imagine my life without you. That's what it means when I say you are not part of my short-term plan. You are bigger than any plan."

"Really?" Nate could hear a hint of hope in her voice.

"Really. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you."

Caitlyn sighed, "I want to say yes, Nate, but you're a planner. That is who you are, and I don't think that a spur-of-the moment proposal is a good idea."

"Can't you just see if for what it is – a sign that I am so sure that I want to marry you that I don't even have to analyze it?" Nate begged.

Caitlyn closed her eyes and spoke again, "Nate, I love you, and I am not going anywhere. Just think about it. If you really want to marry me, ask me again later."

"Thinking about it isn't going to change anything, but if that's what you need me to do," Nate said wearily.

"It is," Caitlyn said. Nate heard her yawn. "I love you, Nate, but I really need to try and get some sleep."

"I love you too, Caity. I will call you tomorrow."

Nate hung up the phone and sat quietly for a few minutes. Then he smiled, got up and sat at his computer.

The next morning when Caitlyn woke up, she went to check her e-mail. She found a message from Nate entitled "Nate's Life Plan." She wiped away a tear as she read his plans for their life together, which included a honeymoon somewhere where he would get to see Caitlyn in a swimsuit, at least three children (preferably girls with Caitlyn's eyes), and a house somewhere near Shane, Mitchie and Jason. It ended with an announcement that Caitlyn needed to promise to outlive him because he didn't want to face living without her. She laughed when she read that.

Back in London, Nate waited impatiently for her answer. A new message finally popped up on his screen, and his hand shook as he opened it. He grinned when he saw what Caitlyn had written.

"Caitlyn's Plan for Nate - Size 5. Princess cut. Platinum. And a real proposal!"

He could work with that.


End file.
